Days of Blood and Fire - Katharine Kerr [7]
“How do you know he’s a bard?”
“Because his eyes are gone. That’s what they do, when they decide one of their boy children has the voice to make a bard. They do scoop his eyes right out with the point of a knife, because they do think it makes his singing sweeter.”
Jahdo nearly gagged. He turned sharply away, found himself staring up at Councilman Verrarc, and felt the blood drain from his face in a wave of cold fear.
“Somewhat wrong, lad?” Verrarc’s voice was mild, but his stare was sharp and cold. “You look frightened.”
“Oh, he had a bit of a run-in with that Gel da’Thae bard,” Lael said, smiling. “He’s never seen one of their tribe before.”
“Enough to scare anyone, that.”
“What’s he doing here, anyway?” Lael went on.
“Cursed if I know.” Verrarc shrugged, visibly worried. “That’s why the guards did fetch me and the rest of the council before they did let that lot in. We’re going to pay him a visit, just to ask, like, down at the campground.”
“Think it be trouble?”
“I wish I knew, Lael, I wish I knew. As he walked by, he did tell me that he’d come to claim a tribute we owe his kind. We’ve got a web of treaties and obligations with these people, much as I wish we didn’t, and so who knows what he means by it? I’d best be finding out.”
Verrarc turned away with a pleasant nod, but Jahdo felt his fear deepen to a clot like goat’s hair in his mouth. With a dreamlike clarity he knew that showing his fear of the councilman was dangerous, that if Verrarc thought he remembered—remembered what? The terror in the meadow. The hiss of a snake.
“Well, lad,” Lael said. “You do look as white as I’ve ever seen you. What be so wrong?”
Jahdo was about to tell, then realized that the councilman lingered within earshot.
“The bard’s eyes, Da, that’s all. I keep imagining how that knife would feel when they did it.”
“A nasty thing, sure enough.” Lael shuddered a bit himself. “But they’re a strange lot all round, and cruel enough as well. Come along now, let’s get home. We need to stop to claim a fee, too.”
“I did it already, Da. Mam told me to. I got a lot of roast goat from the Widow Suka.”
“Splendid. Let’s go fetch it home, then.”
The news had preceded them to Citadel. As they were tying up the coracle, a handful of militiamen surrounded them. With the swing of one broad hand and a toss of his blond head, Demet pushed his way to the front. The family had known him all their lives, just as most everyone knew everyone else in Cerr Cawnen.
“Be it true, Lael?” Demet burst out. “Is one of the Horsekin in the city?”
“He is, and we did see him. A bard, and blind as a mole. Councilman Verrarc says he’s come to claim some ancient due or service.”
All the men swore, laying automatic hands on sword hilt or knife. Demet looked away to the distant shore and shaded his eyes with one hand, as if he were hoping to see the stranger.
“I don’t see why we had to go and make treaties with them, anyway,” Jahdo said.
“Better than being their slaves, lad,” Lael said. “Or the slaves of the wild tribes up to the north. Better to bargain with the Horsekin we know than fight the ones we don’t, bain’t?”
“True spoken.” Demet turned back to them. “But I’ll wager we call council fire tonight over this.”
No one bothered to argue with him, and rightly so. Just at sunset the big bronze gong that hung at the top of Citadel began to clang and boom across the water. More ominous than thunder, each huge stroke hung in the darkening air. When Jahdo and his family left their quarters, he could see boats and coracles, skittering on their oars like so many waterbugs, as all round the shore the townsfolk swarmed across the lake. Every person who dwelt within earshot of the gong had the right to attend these councils and make their wishes known, man and woman alike, just as everyone had the right to vote for the town council, too. Out in the Rhiddaer there were no lords and kings. As the citizenry hurried up the steep streets of Citadel in a tide of rumor and fear, the family made its own way to the assembly ground.
In front